The Westshore Corner Store after a previous robbery more than two years ago. Photo / File
The Westshore Corner Store after a previous robbery more than two years ago. Photo / File
A 33-year-old man was arrested in Napier less than two hours after he allegedly committed an aggravated robbery while on release conditions after a previous sentence for robbery.
Police said a man entered a dairy on the corner of Charles and Alfred Sts, Westshore, about 9.45am yesterday brandishing a"baseball" bat.
Area Response Manager Senior Sergeant Steve Nicoll said the man unsuccessfully tried to open the till but left with cigarettes valued about $1500 and was driven away by an accomplice.
Nicoll said "excellent police work" led to the arrest of a patched gang member about 11.30am, the recovery of stolen property and the alleged weapon.
Charges are pending, and the man remains in custody awaiting court appearances.
Meanwhile, an 18-year-old arrested after a robbery at the Te Awa Dairy on June 15, from which he fled as the proprietor's father brandished a garden hoe, is expected to be sentenced in Napier District Court next month.
He faces a maximum 14 years in prison for aggravated robbery - committed with violence, a weapon or by more than one person.